World News Briefs

ROME, May 12—Pope Pau VI today granted an audienc to a two‐man Vietcong dele gation, his first recorded meet ing with representatives o South Vietnamese Communists

The two Vietcong official were Nguyen Van Hieu, minis ter of state in the Vietcong provisional revolutionary government and a member of the Vietcong delegation in Paris and Le Van Loc, an adviser.

The half‐hour audience was conducted in French without interpreters. A Vatican spokes man said that the two Vietcont representatives had wanted to thank the Pope for his effort; to bring peace to Indochina Last night the two delegate: submitted documents concerning prisoners in South Vietnan and other questions to the Most Rev. Agostino Casaroli, the Pope's principal foreign affairs aide.

Pope Paul received the leader of Hanoi's delegation to the Paris peace talks, Xuan Thuy last February, and Presideni Nguyen Van Thin of South Vietnam last month.

With the words “I ask France for its pardon,” All Benyanes stepped onto the execution block to become the third criminal to be executed during President Pompidou's term of office.

In November last year Roger Bontemps and Claude Buffet were guillotined in Paris after killing their hostages in a prison riot.

Bangladesh Fears Many River Deaths

DACCA, Bangladesh, May 12 (Reuters)—Many of the 300 passengers aboard an overloaded motor launch that capsized and sank in the Padma River were feared drowned, trapped inside the cabin, an official said here today.

The boat, the Swamasaore, which sank on Thursday, was located by a salvage team today 150 feet down in the middle of the river.

The team recovered 10 bodies and the spokesman said that it was feared that many more were trapped inside. He said that the boat was carrying twice as many passengers as it should have.

Marcos Orders Military Draft

Special to The New York Times

MANILA, Sunday, May 13—President Ferdinand E. Marcos has decreed the selective drafting of male 20‐year‐olds and the registration of all military reservists in a move to increase the capability of the Philippine armed forces.

The official total of 65,000 men in the Philippine armed services before the declaration of martial law last September was augmented recently by voluntary enlistees estimated at 5,000.

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